POKER FACE is an episodic murder mystery story that features an unusual leading lady. Each week, Charlie (Natasha Lyonne) solves a crime with her extraordinary gift of always being able to know when someone is lying. Repeatedly, she yells out, “bullshit,” until she solves the case or obtains the necessary information. Each episode is complete and resolved. This is a good thing. There’s no dragging out extra stuffed dialogues, but this can also get old using the same formula each time. The stories are not that bizarre, and Charlie always gets to the truth while portraying an incredibly annoying person.
Audiences will either love or hate Natasha’s grating vocal tone. At the beginning of the series, I could handle it, but over time, I just wanted her to talk less. She is a fine actress who can deliver the emotional goods, but her voice does get in the way. What saves this series are all the guest actors who drop in for a dramatic moment or two. This includes Rhea Perlman, John Mulaney, Carol Kane, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Justin Theroux, and oh, so many more. Trying to guess what big star was written into the plot as a character actor was the biggest treat.
POKER FACE can grow on you, and the setup for a third season was smart and deliberate. I think this series is an acquired taste.
POKER FACE is streaming on PEACOCK.
